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Je Suis Islam A Religion of love peace and tranquility

January 12, 2015

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My first blog post of 2015 had me tossing and turning almost in time of break of dawn. I usually start the year light on the blog, resolutions, movies I’d like to watch, something along these lines, but this year, I couldn’t wait to write this over a freshly brewed cup of coffee because the way Islam continues to be portrayed by the manipulative media courtesy of the extremist attacks on Charlie Hebdo in the past 72 hours breaks my heart. Not that this hasn’t been going on for over a decade, but the more it resurfaces, the more my palms twitch to bring out the voices in my head.

The attacks in Paris over on Charlie Hebdo offices were unjustified and are sad, no one deserves to die in a terrorist attack and my heart goes out to all of the families who have lost a loved one in this attack – may all of their souls rest in peace. This occurrence also marks the first attack of what I think would be many more attacks on Islam in 2015, because frankly this wouldn’t be the first or last time the name of Islam is tainted and manipulated in the media. Thanks to the media who is selective about what it reports IslamPhobia has become a thing across the world, and the minute you hear the words terrorist attacked on television, the word Muslim and Islam start buzzing around it on social media and everywhere else that holds a conversation.

When the Paris attacks happened the media were quick to use terms like “gun men, extremists, massacre terrorists, and Islamist assassins”, however when the media reported the NAACP Colorado Springs explosions, the terms used were “man, explosion, and driver”. Can you see the different in terms used? They pretty much set a precedent of how the viewer or the listener will be forming an opinion and judging the situation. As a matter of fact; on December 21st, Sally Kohn tweeted what is pretty much summarizes this whole situation:

Muslim shooter = entire religion guilty

Black shooter = entire race guilty

White shooter = mentally troubled lone wolf

Media stereotyping and hypocrisy has no limits, especially that the media is selective about what it does or does not report, so you really never get both sides of the story to help you form an opinion, it’s simple really, use the proper words, the proper tone of voice when reporting, and the subliminal message of Islam and terrorism being linked together have become one.

When Netanyahu walks in the March of Peace in Paris when he has the blood of so many innocent Palestinian Civilians on his hand it’s a double standard and it’s hypocrisy in its lowest form, especially that the Israeli’s have managed to kill 17 journalists in the latest terror on Gaza in 2014 because they didn’t want the world to know about their massacres, so why was the freedom of speech of these journalists taken? Who was their voice? Why is the world willing to support a rubbish publication for their freedom of speech when it’s not willing to protect what is being withheld from publishing in my part of the world. Yes, I called Charlie Hebdo a rubbish publication because it is anything but reputable, the cartoons and illustrations defaming Christianity and Islam alike is just horrible. I am indeed sorry for the loss of all of these civilians who died in the name of terrorism, but I was also thinking out loud, and allow me here for a second, if it wasn’t an extremists claiming Islam, if it was a white man who was offended and did what has been done, would the media have been labeled it so?

Any reputable journalist will refuse to tweet or use the sentiment “Je Suis Charlie” – Charlie as a publication that is a shame to journalism; as Tony Barber of the Financial Times said: “Charlie Hebdo has a long record of mocking, baiting and needling French Muslims. If the magazine stops just short of outright insults, it is nevertheless not the most convincing champion of the principle of freedom of speech. France is the land of Voltaire, but too often editorial foolishness has prevailed at Charlie Hebdo”.

I was actually brought up to believe in a principle that one day I will be passing on to my own children “Your freedom stops, when that of others begins”. If only the world practiced that, then we would all be in a better place.

On the heels of Je Suis Charlie trending online, was “#JeSuisAhmed” which told the story of the French Muslim Police Officer who died in the terrorist attacks defending the right of Charlie Hebdo. Almost at the same time a Muslim also protected six people in a Kosher supermarket attack against Jews by hiding them in a freezer. This is more of what Islam is all about, so let me tell you a little bit more about Islam which the Media will never tell you.

Islam promotes and defends the rights of men, women, and children equally

Islam fights in justice and calls for love, unity, and cooperation among mankind

Islam FORBIDs killing, stealing, and torture of any human soul

Islam teaches its followers to obey their parents, show kindness to their neighbors, and reach out to the less fortunate and those in need

Islam does not allow people to chop of trees but encourages planting the, and most certainly does not allow the killing if people

Want to know more about this beautiful religion? My Queen and role model Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan says it best:

“Islam, my Islam, the Islam of 1.6 billion followers condemns the killing of children. It is a religion of peace, tolerance and mercy. It celebrates children as a gift from God. So when extremists kill in the name of Islam, they distort our sacred religion; they attack our core values; and they hijack the identity of the moderate majority.”

This is an excerpt of Her Majesty’s Blog post on the Huffington Post in December when in 132 children who went to school in Peshawar, Pakistan did not return home. Read the whole blog post here http://huff.to/1AoNOJU

A Muslim does not kill. A Muslim does not slaughter. Just because someone screams “Allah Akbar” which means God is Great before they perform a terror attack does not mean they are Muslim. As a matter of fact they are anything but. What they are doing is against Islam and what Islam stands for, and they represent a small faction of fanatics that the media had no problem turning in a reign of terror causing Islamphobia. Just think of the same stereotype imposed among Latin Americans in America, the media and the film industry have placed many Mexicans to be drug dealers, responsible for human trafficking, cartels, and cold-blooded killers, and so there are many Americans (and I am not saying everyone) who have the mentality of discriminating against their immigrant neighbor because of these ideologies manipulated by the media. Islam has been a victim as well, and it has gotten out of hand, and it’s time to speak up.

My Islam, and that of every other Muslim across the world, is a religion that recognizes all Prophets and God Sent Religions to mankind, and the manipulative media has allowed words such as Islamophobia and anti-Semitic to be linked to Arab Muslims worldwide. Terrorism has no Religion; please remember that before you accuse a Muslim of being a terrorist.

Je Sues Islam – I am offended and repulsed by the Media that insists to label me on what I am not. I am a Muslim; I do not kill, commit murder, or terror.

I am a Muslim, terrorism in no shape or form represents me. I live and stand for peace and forgiveness.